Combined door check and spring.



PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

W. GILFILLAN. COMBINED DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. 1902.

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No. 878,521. I PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908. W. GILFILLAN.

COMBINED DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. 1902.

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PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

W. GILFILLAN COMBINE-D DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. 1902.

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WILLIAM GILFILLAN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed February 13. 1902. Serial No. 93,918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, (VILLIAM GILFILLAN, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Door Checks and Springs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section taken through the spring and check chambers,

showing the position and relative arrangement of the various parts, when the door to which the check is applied, is open. Fig. 2, is a similar view, when the door is closed. Fig. 3, is a top view of the checking and connecting links, when a plied to the door and casing. Fig. 4, is a p an view of the piston. Fig. 5, a detail elevation of the rotary spindle, or shaft, and crank eccentric. Fig. 6, a detail elevation of the joint of the bracket and end of the link, the parts being shown slightly separated. Fig. 7, a vertical section through the same parts as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8, 1avlertical section of the joint of the arm and in r.

In all figures, similar letters of reference represent like parts.

My invention relates to what are known as liquid door checks, and has for its object, the construction of a cheap, simple, and efficient check, easily adjusted, and comprising one or more of the various improvements and combination of parts described and more particularly claimed hereafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more particular description, the part designated by the letter A comprises a spring chamber having below a substantially cylindrical chamber B, at right angles thereto, one end of which forms the piston chamber proper C.

D represents the piston, constructed with a head (1, at one end fitting within the piston chamber C. The head cl is provided with a port (2 for the passage of the checking liquid, and a valve E for regulating the flow of the li uid through the port. A vent tube F of Sn stantially the same construction as that described in a former patent to me, No. 488,651, granted December 27th, 1892, projects through an opening e in the valve E, and is provided on its outer surface with one or more longitudinally tapering grooves f, which grooves are of the greatest depth and the piston head (Z.

width at the inner end of the tube, and gradually diminish until they merge into the smooth cylindrical surface f of the tube. lVithin the tube F is a rotary valve G, controlled by an externally projecting head g, so as to vary the flow of liquid through a vent opening f in the tube F. Without going into a more detailed description of these parts of the check, I may say that upon the opening movement of the door, when the piston is moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, the valve E is allowed a slight play by means of a pin 6 which connects it with the piston head (i, so as to permit the liquid to pass through the port d, and around the valve E, while upon the reverse movement, the pressure of the liquid forces the valve E against Furthermore, as the piston reaches the end of its stroke (as shown in Fig. 1), the liquid may pass through the valve E by means of the tapering grooves f. As the piston, on the other hand, approaches the opposite position, shown in Fig. 2, the smooth cylindrical portion of the tube F fits snugly within the opening a in the valve, so that no liquid. can pass from one side to the other of the piston, except through the tube itself, the vent f 3 of which is controlled by the turning of the rotary valve G to close or open it.

The opposite end of the piston from the head (i is provided with a centrally located aperture or bearing II, for an arbor h, which arbor is attached to the cap h, closing this end of the chamber B. As the piston is mounted to slide upon the arbor h at this end, there can be no requirement for boring the chamber B through its entire length to a cylindrical form because the piston is not supported or guided by the chamber itself at this end, and the piston at thisend need not fill the chamber, but may be of any suitable form.

The intermediate part of the piston is preferably constructed (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) in the form of a flat plate, upon the upper side of which is a race or transverse slide-way J, in which may fit an enlarged circular piece 7c, attached to the crank arm eccentrically to the rotary shaft or spindle K, and forming what may be called a crank eccentric. The diameter of the crank eccentric isv equal to the width of the race. This race way is shown more particularly in Fig. 4, wherein the location of the crank eccentric 7c and spindle K is indicated by dotted lines. As

appears in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the crank eccentric k lies entirely to one side of the axial line of the spindle K one point of its periphery being in line with the axial line of the spindle. In Fig. 4 is also shown a stop 7, against which a laterally projecting stud is near the lower end of the spindle K is adapted to come in contact to limit the rotary movement of the spindle. I

The chamber B is shown separated from the spring chamber by a gland L, having an aperture Z through which the spindle K passes. The gland L is provided on its under surface, about the central aperture Z, for the spindle K, with a depending annular flange Z, which is adapted to rest upon a shoulder and crank arm on the end of the spindle K within the liquid chamber. Between the lower surface of the flange Z and the upper surface of the crank arm 76 is a washer I0 so that when the spindle is drawn upward against the gland L, there can be no escape of the checking fluid from the chamber B into the spring chamber A, through the aperture Z.

Asleeve M, having at its upper end aratchet wheel m is fitted on the rotary shaft K, in well known manner, and within the spring chamber are a plurality of springs N, N, N

each of which has one end connected with the sleeve M and the other end with the casing. Instead of using a single wide spring, I use two or more narrow springs which are fully as powerful as one single spring of the same width, and are much less liable to break. Furthermore, if a number of springs are used, and one breaks, the other, or others, will still remain operative, and will in most cases, be sufficiently strong to operate the check.

A nut O engages the upper end of the spindle K, and is provided with a washer 0, which when screwed down bears down upon the upper end of the sleeve M, the projecting end of which is also provided with a washer m, and rests upon the cap P, closing the top of the spring chamber A. Screwing the nut O down against the sleeve M therefore draws the spindle K upward and makes a liquid tight fit between the crank arm 1: of the spindle K and the flange Z of the gland L, and also between the cap M and nut O.

The upper end of the spindle K is also engaged by an arm R, to the under side of which is pivoted a pawl 1, adapted to engage as desired, a tooth of the ratchet wheel m. The arm R, at its outer end, is pivoted to an extension link S, which in turn is pivotally connected to a bracket T, adapted to be secured to the door casing, as desired. The connections between the arm R and extension link S consist of a ball and socket joint arranged so as to connect the arm and link in the same horizontal plane, and thus to avoid any bearing of the joint under strain. To this end, the arm R is bent, as shown in Fig. 3, and the link is provided with a substantially circular knob or ball 8, which fits into two cupshaped parts 1 and r of the arm It. These cup-shaped parts 1" and r" are fastened together by means of screws, or, in any other suitable manner, and when so fastened the joint is made substantially a universal one, permitting the arm and link to assume positions in relation to each other impossible in the ordinary pivot, and at the same time keeps the arm and link in the same horizontal plane. The bracket and link are connected by a similar joint, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the bracket having a ball 25 and the link two cup-shaped members, w and w. The peculiar form of joint permits the check and bracket to be applied to a door and casing occupyingdivergent planes, even when the door is closed. As, for example, the bracket may be applied to the under'or horizontal face of the casing instead of the vertical face.

This oint also relieves the check from any strain when, as is often the case, the check or bracket through the sagging of the door, or other cause, do not travel in a horizontal plane when the door is opened.

The method of securing the two cupshaped parts of the socket members of the joints permits them to be screwed together tighter from time to time to take up any wear on the balls of the joints.

Having now described my invention, which may vary in its details without departing from. the spirit thereof, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 a door check, the combination with a liquid checking chamber; of a removable cap for closing one end of said chamber; a piston having a head at the end away from said cap supported and guided by said chamber; a device carried by said cap and removable therewith for supporting and guiding the other end of said piston; a rotary spindle; and means for operating said piston longitudinally from said spindle, substantially as described.

2. In a door check, the combination with a liquid checking chamber; of an axially disposed arbor in said chamber; a piston having at one end a head supported and guided by said chamber, and its other end supported and guided by said arbor; a transverse race-way on said piston; arotaryspindle having a crank arm; and a depending crank eccentric on said arm whose diameter is equal to the width of said race-way, and having one point of its periphery in line with the axis ofsaid spindle, said crank eccentric being adapted to directly engage the sides of said race-way to operate said piston longitudinally upon the rotation of said spindle, substantially as described.

3. In a door check, the combination with a liquid checking chamber of a piston movable longitudinally therein; a transverse race or wayformed on said piston; a rotary spindle having a crank eccentric adapted to engagein said race or way to operate said piston longitudinally upon the rotation of said spindle; a stop on said piston for limiting the rotation of said spindle; and means on said spindle for engaging said stop, substantially as described.

l. In a door check, the combination with a spring chamber; of a liquid checking chamber; a piston within said liquid chamber; a rotary spindle projecting from said spring chamber into said liquid chamber and engaging said piston to operate the same a gland separating said chambers and having an aperture for said spindle; an enlargement or shoulder on the part of said spindle within said liquid chamber adapted to bear upward against said gland; and means for drawing said spindle longitudinally to adjust the tightness of the contact between said enlargement or shoulder and said gland, substantially as described.

5. In a door check, the combination with a spring chamber; of a cap on said spring chamber; a liquid checking chamber; a gland fixed between said spring and liquid. chamber; a rotary spindle passing through said gland and cap provided at its lower end with a shoulder adapted to bear upward against said gland; and a screw nut adapted to engage the upper end of said spindle and bear downward on said cap, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on the 11th day of February, 1902.

' l/VILLIAM GILFILLAN. \Vitnesses WVILLIAM R. PITKIN, M. OLIVE \Vnmnuws. 

